CUPE Media Advisory: Community Living Lanark Paying 5 Times More to Employ Scabs and Keep Skilled Workers Off the Job

CUPE rally & news conference in Carleton Place tomorrow

CARLETON PLACE, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Aug. 19, 2009) - Community Living Association Lanark County is paying 5 times more for "replacement workers" to keep skilled CUPE members off the job, senior CUPE Ontario leadership will say at a news conference tomorrow, Thursday, August 20 at 12:30 PM.

The news conference will precede a 1:00 PM rally in support of striking workers from CUPE Local 1521-02. CUPE Ontario President Sid Ryan and Secretary-Treasurer Fred Hahn are the featured speakers.

Ryan is expected to call on Premier Dalton McGuinty and Community and Social Services Minister Madeleine Meilleur to initiate an operational review of the employer, Community Living Association Lanark County, focused on the financial accountability of the agency administration.

WHERE: Both events will be held outside Community Living Association Lanark County's head office, 178 Town Line Road East, Carleton Place

Community Living Association Lanark County is spending vast sums of money on untrained, unqualified replacement workers. By conservative estimates, the agency has spent upwards of 500 per cent more on strikebreaking than they would have to pay skilled, qualified staff who know and understand the people they serve. On at least one occasion, striking staff have had to call police after witnessing replacement workers inappropriately restraining residents.